Critiques of the Jail Expansion in Douglas County with Danielle S. Rudes and Dr. Shannon Portillo.

Episode S2E6: Show Notes.

Today we revisit the issue of the Douglas County Jail expansion with the help of Danielle S. Rudes and Dr. Shannon Portillo. Our guests were researchers for the report that was produced by Justice Matters and in this episode, we get to hear all about the process, findings, and recommendations. The evidence all points towards the thesis that jail expansion is not, in fact, the answer to the problems cited by the county, and our guests unpack exactly how the issues that have been highlighted are better served by community programs that deal with rehabilitation and recovery in more effective ways. We note the unfortunate lack of collaboration from the county and discuss this partly surprising stance towards a solution. We also hear about some of the interesting choices around language in the report and how we can start to rethink the purpose of jail time. The conversation ends with some reflections on the recommendations and the values that Danielle and Shannon feel should be given priority as we consider jail reform. These are namely the humanity of the people involved, the safety of communities, and a reliance on evidence and science for the decisions that are made. Tune in to hear all of this and more!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Some background on our guests and their current respective work.

• The main focus and impetus of the report and the underlying ideas going into the project.

• Methods and material for the study; comparisons, gap analysis, and early recommendations. 

• The limitations of data on incarceration and attempts to overcome these challenges. 

• Lack of collaboration from the county and their surprising disinterest.

• Evidence from studies around recidivism and the legacy of incarceration and labeling.

• Understanding the term 'justice-involved individuals' and the idea of person-first language. 

• Demographic representation in jails in comparison with communities. 

• Comparing Douglas County Jail to other jails, locally and nationally.  

• Roadblocks to general prison reform and the difficulty of critical evaluation from within. 

• The early effects of the coronavirus pandemic in the jail systems and the interesting conclusions that can be drawn from the measures that are currently being taken.

• Why jail expansion should not be explored in Douglas County and beyond — no evidence to support it.

• Better and simpler methods for lowering jail and recidivism numbers.

• Recommendations for the values that should be given preference in jail reform; humanity, safety, and evidence.

• Connecting values and policy and representing the desires of the community accurately. 

• Reflecting on the study and the omission of data from the actual jail.

• Accessing the report and when and where it will be available.